incur

incur — verb

1. to end up facing a negative outcome — such as a cost, a penalty, or someone's an

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to end up facing a negative outcome — such as a cost, a penalty, or someone's anger — because of something you did, agreed to, or put yourself in the position for.

Example

Tanvi incurred a large hospital bill after spending a night in the emergency room.

collocation: incur + [bill / cost / expense] (financial consequences)

The shipping company incurred heavy losses during last year's economic downturn.

collocation: incur + [loss / debt] (business context)

Common collocations
  • incur + costs
  • incur + losses
  • incur + debt
  • incur + a penalty
  • incur + expenses
  • incur + fees
  • incur + charges
  • incur + someone's anger
  • incur + someone's wrath
  • incur + criticism
  • incur + injury
  • incur + damage
Synonyms
  • sustain

    more formal and passive; often paired with injury or loss (sustain damage)

  • suffer

    broader range and less formal; can describe physical pain or emotional hardship

  • contract

    specific to debts, obligations, or diseases; has a legal tone

  • run up

    informal; only for debts or bills (run up a huge credit card bill)

Antonyms
  • avoid

    deliberately prevent a negative outcome (avoid incurring penalties)

  • escape

    manage not to experience something undesirable (escape incurring any fines)

Grammar Patterns

incur + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in business, legal, and official writing. The object is almost always something negative — costs, losses, debts, penalties, anger, criticism, or injury. Not used with positive outcomes (do not say 'incur a benefit').

Common Mistakes

The accident incurred near the highway.
The accident occurred near the highway.
'Incur' is transitive (you incur something); it does not mean 'happen'.
She incurred a wonderful new opportunity.
She incurred a large debt after opening the business.
'Incur' only describes negative outcomes, never positive ones.

Word family

  • incurred
    adjectiveB2
  • incurring
    verbB2
  • incurrence
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe experiencing something undesirable, but they differ in register, scope, and typical objects. 'Incur' is the most formal and business-oriented — you incur costs, debts, or penalties as a direct result of a choice. 'Suffer' is broader and less formal: you can suffer a loss, pain, or humiliation even from events beyond your control. 'Sustain' is highly formal and largely restricted to injury and financial loss ('sustain heavy casualties'). 'Contract' has a legal or medical flavour: you contract a disease or a legal obligation. 'Run up' is the only informal option, used almost exclusively for debts and bills ('run up a huge credit card balance'). In formal writing, choose 'incur' for consequences tied to your own actions; choose 'sustain' for passive damage; choose 'suffer' when the cause may be external.

incur ↗suffer ↗sustain ↗contract ↗run up ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • incur the wrath of
  • incur a penalty for
  • incur additional costs

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'incurrere' — literally 'to run into' (in- 'into' + currere 'to run'). The word entered Middle English via Old French 'encourir', keeping the image of 'running into' something, which gradually narrowed to running into trouble or obligation.